The Ex-Wife He Can Never Have

Chapter 1

Stephanie Adams watched her husband, Tory Adams, happily playing with the baby in his arms, his excitement barely concealed in his words.

But Stephanie was not at peace with herself. This baby was the child of her husband and widowed sister-in-law.

She said expressionlessly, "Congratulations."

Tory Adams's smile gradually faded. He carefully handed the child to the nanny and questioned, "What kind of attitude is this?"

Stephanie Adams: "Congratulations on becoming a father, then."

Tory Adams approached and looked down at her.

"What do you mean 'congratulate me'? Stephanie Adams! On such a joyous day, can you please stop with the sarcastic tone!"

Stephanie Adams raised her eyes coldly.

"Vanessa Lewis was able to give birth to the child, and you deserve half the credit. Shouldn't we congratulate you?"

Tory Adams was visibly unhappy.

"Vanessa went through so much hardship to give birth because she loved Lucas. Now that Lucas is gone, she wants a child as a pillar of support to keep living. What's wrong with that?"

Stephanie Adams sighed almost imperceptibly.

Did you get my permission?

When Stephanie Adams first learned that Vanessa Lewis was pregnant, she thought it was Lucas Adams's posthumous child.

Even though Vanessa Lewis was a bit more temperamental because of her pregnancy, she still treated her with courtesy.

It wasn't until the months of pregnancy became increasingly suspicious that Tory Adams revealed the truth.

Tory Adams said, "Vanessa's baby was conceived through artificial insemination using my previously frozen sperm. This was the result of a family discussion, and I hope you can understand."

Such a big thing was kept from her by everyone in the Adams family.

So they had decided to tell her only after everything was already done?

And after all that, he expected a simple "I hope you understand" to settle everything?

Tory Adams sat down on the opposite sofa, took out a cigarette and put it to his lips. With a snap, his well-defined fingers lit the cigarette with a lighter.

Tory Adams was undeniably handsome, with sharply defined features. His gold-rimmed glasses gave him a mature, scholarly charm.

Stephanie Adams had initially been drawn to that very image.

Looking back now, I must have been out of my mind.

Tory Adams took a drag of his cigarette, slowly exhaled, and frowned slightly.

"Vanessa begged me, and the elders had no objections, so I agreed to do it."

"I didn't tell you beforehand because I was afraid you wouldn't agree and something else would go wrong."

"You need to know that Lucas's death was a huge blow to Vanessa. During that time, she was already showing signs of depression and could not be stimulated at all."

"All she wanted was a child. With a pillar of support, she could get through her pain. And for me, it was just a small favor."

It was just a small favor?

This was the first time Stephanie Adams had ever heard someone use the phrase "a small favor" so shamelessly.

How thoughtful!

The reasons seem both reasonable and sufficient.

She remained silent for a long time without saying another word.

It's not that we have nothing to say.

I have so much to say but I don't want to say it anymore.

She was afraid that if she exposed all those sordid things to Tory Adams, she would go crazy.

Looking at that delicate face, with its picturesque features yet tinged with a faint sadness, Tory Adams felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

Just as Stephanie Adams was about to speak, the phone rang.

It was Vanessa Lewis who called.

Tory Adams answered the phone, his voice unusually gentle.

"Yes, I'm home."

"I already ate on the way."

"I'll take a shower and change my clothes before I go over. I can't let Victor see me looking so disheveled."

"Okay, you should get some rest too. I'll be over later."

After hanging up the phone, Tory Adams casually remarked.

"His grandmother chose the child’s name. She originally wanted to honour Lucas by incorporating part of his name, but eventually settled on Victor."

Stephanie Adams stood up. "Go on with your work. Your sister-in-law and your son are waiting for you."

These words were grating, and Tory Adams immediately lost his temper, "Stephanie Adams, can you please stop being so sarcastic?"

“It’s better to use mine than an outsider’s, since they are all of our Adams family bloodline.”

Stephanie Adams tilted her head, a half-smile on her face, "I’m curious. How exactly did you make the donation?"

A hint of unease flashed across Tory Adams's face, but he quickly regained his composure.

"How else can I donate? I told you before that I froze my sperm at a sperm bank, you know that."

Stephanie Adams did indeed know about this.

Tory Adams had his sperm frozen before she married into the Adams family.

Tory Adams spoke in a reproachful tone, yet sounded utterly innocent.

"Stephanie, how could you doubt me?"

Stephanie Adams gently brushed the stray hairs from her forehead, her smile flickering. "I was only asking out of curiosity. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Tory Adams sighed, "There's really nothing between Vanessa and me, it's not like I cheated on her."

"Besides, Grandma and Mom have been upset because of Lucas. Now that Victor is here, it will help them recover from the pain of outliving their child. Isn't that good? We've been married for three years, and if only you..."

Stephanie Adams had been married into the Adams family for three years, but she had shown no signs of pregnancy.

Her mother-in-law, Helena Adams, often said behind her back that she was a hen that couldn't lay eggs, and gave her all sorts of dirty looks.

Stephanie Adams even secretly went to the hospital for a checkup because of this.

Fortunately, the examination showed that she had no fertility problems.

In truth, the accusation that she could not conceive was merely an excuse.

The real reason is that the Scott family was misled and failed in two gambling agreements, leaving them heavily in debt.

The family was no longer as prosperous as it had once been; its fortunes had begun to decline.

"Go to the hospital to see Vanessa tomorrow too. Don't let her overthink things and think you're angry with her, which is why you're not visiting her. You know she's very sensitive."

After saying this, Tory Adams walked straight towards the baby. Before leaving, he even teased the baby, seemingly in a very good mood, completely unlike his usual aloofness when he was with Stephanie Adams.

The phone rang.

Tory Adams's mother answered the phone, beaming from ear to ear as she shared the news with someone: "It's a boy! The child is very handsome, and Tory Adams is overjoyed."

"The little one was quite stubborn when he was born, and the difficult delivery put Vanessa through considerable pain. We originally planned to have a C-section, but Vanessa refused and insisted on giving birth, so we had no choice but to give in to her wishes."

"But seeing her in so much pain, my heart ached and I burst into tears. Tory Adams felt the same way, wishing he could give birth in her place."

The maid, Mrs. Higgins, overheard this and gritted her teeth, feeling indignant on Stephanie Adams's behalf.

Stephanie Adams calmly told Mrs. Higgins that she was fine.

The entire Adams family had spent the past few days at the hospital, keeping their second young mistress company as she prepared to give birth.

Her husband had been among them.

Throughout those days, Tory Adams had stayed by Vanessa Lewis’s side without leaving her for a moment.

He cared for his sister-in-law far more than he cared for his own wife.

Vanessa Lewis, the cherished daughter of the Lewis family, married into the Adams family three years ago alongside Stephanie Adams.

Stephanie Adams married Tory Adams, the eldest son of the Adams family.

Vanessa Lewis married Lucas Adams, the second young master of the Adams family.

With two happy events, the wedding caused a sensation throughout Oakhaven.

However, this good fortune didn't last long.

Lucas Adams, who had always loved speed and excitement, died when his car collided with a large truck during a high-speed race.

Stephanie Adams remembered the incident clearly.

In his wedding vows, Lucas Adams specifically emphasized that he would give up his hobbies for Vanessa Lewis.

Why Lucas had suddenly gone racing that day remained unknown.

The Lewis family’s cherished daughter had become a widow overnight.

The Adams family felt very guilty towards Vanessa Lewis and advised her to remarry.

But Vanessa Lewis insisted on staying with the Adams family.

As a result, the entire Adams family cherished this kind and righteous girl even more.

To what extent was it added?

They spared no effort to find another way to help her conceive a child of the Adams family.

Since Lucas Adams was dead, the only possible donor was his twin brother, Tory Adams.

Stephanie Adams returned to her room and took out a photograph from the drawer.

This photo was sent to her anonymously a month ago.

In the photo, a man and a woman are seen b

ehaving intimately in front of the entrance of a five-star hotel.

These two people were none other than Tory Adams and Vanessa Lewis.

So this was Tory Adams’s real method of “donating” sperm...